By Karen Aney (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: January 25, 2012
The NHL All-Star Game is a tradition that’s been upheld since the 1930s. For the past while, the starting line-up has been decided upon by fan voting. This year, it is being held in Ottawa, which perhaps is the reason behind four Ottawa Senators getting voted in. The Canucks are the only other team with four candidates named. There are some surprises this year: traditionally, the game is about racking up points, but the league has seen fit to choose the NHL’s top defensive pairing to play – perhaps this indicates a change of heart. The teams will be selected by two captains on January 26, but here’s a rundown of the players they have to choose from, not including the rookies.
Forwards
Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks
Perry won the Rocket Richard and the Hart trophies last year. Last season he had 98 points, but this year he only has 37 so far. He has a recent hat trick, so maybe things are looking up.
Tyler Seguin, Boston Bruins
He was a healthy scratch from the Bruins vs. Jets game in early December because he skipped a team practice. Boston’s GM stated that they had already given him a few passes, but “he’s a young kid who’s learning to be a pro”. He makes a huge impact, but has a classic hot head. Look for him to lose his temper.
Jason Pominville, Buffalo Sabres
Captain of the team, he’s tenth in points for the league. He was a Lady Byng nominee in 2008-2009, and was nominated for another sportsmanlike award in the QMJHL. This means he’s the player most likely to hold the door open for you.
Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
Captain of the quickly sinking ship. He assisted the game-winning gold medal goal: for a nice recap, search for “The Iggy heard around the world” on YouTube. He’s a feisty player who throws smart hits.
Marian Hossa, Chicago Blackhawks
He leads his team in points with 47. This puts him ninth in the league. He’s in the midst of a 12-year contract, but still putting up great points. This could indicate dedication to the team, but it’s likely just that he’s a hard player. Good all around skills and a hard shot.
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
Known as “Captain Serious” of the Hawks, he’s touted to be Canada’s next team C. He’s having an untraditionally big year for goals, with 22 to put him fifth in the league. Toews is a very intelligent player, watch for him both in the skills competition and possibly the shoot-out, as he’s also known to be a shoot-out genius.
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
When he isn’t spending his time allegedly beating up cab drivers, getting photographed half-naked in limos, or touching up his awful mullet, Kane is a very skilled and shifty player on the ice who can create offense with the greatest of ease.
Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars
At press time, he’s on a five-game point streak. He’s known as a power forward, and at six-foot-two and 205-pounds, he can lay a hard hit. Watch for him against the boards.
Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
Consistently referred to as the best stick-handler in the NHL, as voted both by players and fans. He has three Selke awards, which indicates that he’s a great two-way forward. He also has four Lady Byng awards, which means he’s not a jerk about it. He’s five-foot-11 and 194-pounds – listen for the ‘meep meep’ as he speeds down the ice.
Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild
Although he is team captain, Koivu has only nine goals out of his team’s 103. He’s tied with Ovechkin for lowest point production on the All-Star team. Look for Koivu to be slightly confused if he manages to score a couple.
John Tavares, New York Islanders
Tavares is known for anticipating the play well, though his skating skills often come up short. According to his player biography on NHL.com, he played lacrosse from a young age – it comes across in his playing, with lots of spins and evasive maneuvers.
Marian Gaborik, New York Rangers
He’s currently third in the league for goals, with 23. He’s having a great season, having already surpassed his goal total from last season. He’s one of the fastest skaters in the NHL when he’s on his game, but his injury-prone nature keeps him from being at the top of his field.
Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers
Giroux is currently second in the league for points, sandwiched between the Sedin twins. Some of his success could be attributed to having Jaromir Jagr on his wing: the veteran influence shows in his point production, with 27 in 2008-2009, 47 in 2009-2010, 76 in 2010-2011, and already 49 this year with Jagr’s assistance.
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins
He’s the unsung hero of the Penguins, overshadowed by Sid the Kid. Though he’s missed seven games this season with a lower body injury, he’s currently seventh in the league for points. He was the Art Ross winner in 2008-2009, and has a consistent history of high scoring.
Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks
This is Couture’s third season in the NHL. Last year, he had 14 points in 15 games in the playoffs – look for him to do well under pressure. Though captain Joe Thornton leads the Sharks in points, Couture leads in goals with 18.
Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning
Consistently a leading goal-scorer: he was first in the league in 2009-2010, and second in 2010-2011. He’s at the top again this year, in first place at press time. He has a quick release and a great one timer. Look for him to challenge the record of four goals scored by one player in an all-star game.
Phil Kessel, Toronto Maple Leafs
He spent the first half of the season as one of the points leaders in the league. He has great puck handling and tends to drive to the net. Watch for his explosive skating and sniper-like shot skills.
Joffrey Lupul, Toronto Maple Leafs
He’s having an anomaly of a season: his highest season point production has been 53 points in 2005-2006, and he’s currently already at 47. Watch for his batteries to run out – it’s got to happen sometime. Not much to say about his playing style aside from the fact that it’s obviously working.
Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
He is currently third in the league for points. Known as a “Sedin Sister”. Translation? He’s smart, and they’re jealous.
Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
Currently first in the league for points. Known as a “Sedin Sister”. Translation? He’s smart, and they’re jealous.
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
He’s tied with Koivu for the least points among forwards on the all-star team. He’s having an uncharacteristically horrible season, with the lowest point production in his career. The choice to select him suggests that the all-star game really is about ratings – no matter how Ovechkin plays, he’s going to draw a crowd. Watch for him to mouth off the coach.
Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators
The Senators captain, he holds the franchise records for goals (400), assists (650), and points (1050). He’s a good all-around player that tends to make the smart play, as demonstrated by his spread out statistical strength.
Jason Spezza, Ottawa Senators
He’s known for his speed, but has good playmaking skills. He lead the Senators last season with 21 goals and 36 assists even though he missed 22 games due to injuries. Spezza has scored more goals against the Canadiens than any other opponent, with 26. Look for the twinkle in his eye when Carey Price is in net.
Milan Michalek, Ottawa Senators
He’s had a good start to the year offensively with 23 goals. Known as a power forward, he plays hard. Michalek is infamous in Vancouver after slew-footing Keith Ballard last season to take out his knee: look for him to target Ovechkin, as he clearly targets high salaries instead of high point production.
Defensemen
Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators
Currently leading all defensemen in scoring, he has 43 points. It’s been suggested by numerous sources that he’s the reason the Senators have kept Sergei Gonchar around – the veteran is acting in a mentorship role. Karlsson missed a game last Tuesday because of “upper body tweaking”. While this is apparently a recurring issue, he doesn’t expect it will cause him to miss any of the All-Star festivities.
Dion Phaneuf, Toronto Maple Leafs
Captain of the Leafs, he’s also sixth in scoring for defenseman with 28 points. He had 20 goals in his first season (in 2005-2006), but hasn’t hit that total since. Then again, he’s only played one full season since that year. He likes to throw big hits, sometimes making himself a defensive liability on the ice.
Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins
The captain of the Bruins is six-foot-nine and 255-pounds, making him the tallest player in NHL history. He had the league’s best plus-minus last year, and is currently is second place with plus-28. He uses his size well. Look for him to block your view of every other player on the ice with his massive size.
Brian Campbell, Florida Panthers
He was traded this year to the Panthers after not producing on a big contract in Chicago. So far, he’s doing well, having already exceeded last year’s production of 30 points. He’s currently second in points for defenseman, right ahead of Edler (with 33 and 32 respective points). This is perhaps indicative of his ability to play under pressure: look for him to choke with the added publicity.
Ryan Suter, Nashville Predators
He’s currently ninth in defensive scoring. With Weber, Suter is the league’s top shutdown defensive line. Watch for them to actually stop some of the world-class forwards.
Shea Weber, Nashville Predators
He’s the Predators team captain, and currently fourth in defensive scoring. More importantly, he grows the best playoff beard ever. Look to him to shut down the opposition with Suter.
Dan Girardi, New York Rangers
He wasn’t selected for his offensive prowess: he’s garnered only 15 points so far this season. Despite that, he’s the star defenseman on the Ranger’s blue line. He’s known for his ability to block shots and be an all around great defender.
Kimmo Timonen, Philadelphia Flyers
He’s the smallest Flyer at 5-foot-10 and 194-pounds. Despite that, he has 25 assists and a plus-12. This is indicative of his skill as a skater: he’s very shifty and evades the opposition fairly competently.
Keith Yandle, Phoenix Coyotes
He broke out offensively last year with 59 points, but isn’t doing as well this season. He currently has a minus-3, but then again he doesn’t have a lot to work with on his team.
Alex Edler, Vancouver Canucks
His team animal nickname is Eagle – whether this refers to his blonde hair or proud style of play is unconfirmed. He currently has 32 points, which makes him third among defensemen and only 30 points behind the franchise record. He’s inconsistent, and currently in a bit of a slump.
Dennis Wideman, Washington Capitals
Wideman is currently fifth in the league with 31 points. He’s consistently strong offensively – in 2008-2009, he actually tied then teammate Chara for points on the Bruins. He was brought to the Capitals to strengthen their power play. Watch for his hard, smart shots.
Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg Jets
He’s currently 13th in defenseman for points with 24, but his team doesn’t have a high offensive output. Look for this former Blackhawk to lay punishing hits and work his heavy shot. Also worth noting is the fact that his name auto corrects to bug uglier.
Goaltenders
Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings
Howard’s having a huge season, having recently earned his one-hundredth win. His GAA is 2.04.
Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings
A third of his wins—six out of eighteen—are shutouts. Unfortunately, he’s goaltending for a team in an offensive slump. They’re the only team in the conference that hasn’t broken 100 goals, yet he’s kept them in seventh place. His GAA is 1.98.
Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
Price is the only real hope the Habs have of making the playoffs. This is saying something, considering the fact that he has the second most losses in the league with 16. His GAA is 2.45.
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
He’s tallied 19 wins for his team, with three shutouts. He was voted on last year’s Forbes’ best dressed athlete’s list: watch for him to flip his hair in between periods. His GAA is 1.89.
Brian Elliot, St. Louis Blues
Last year, he was one of the statistically worst goalies. This year, he’s one of the best, with only five outright losses. Five of his 15 wins have been shutouts. His GAA is 1.68.
Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins
I don’t want to talk about it.
